Describe pictures and practice using language of approximation.
About, roughly, not unlike ...

Language of Approximation

Look at the picture above and with a partner try
and describe it as fully as possible.

Listen to some people attempting the same task.
At times they don't know the exact name
for something so they use phrases to help them
express what they want to say approximately.
Make a note of phrases like this that you hear.
EXAMPLE: As far as I can see, it looks like some kind of
tube or machine or something.

Now take it in turns to describe Picture A and Picture B
Describe what you can see and explain what you think is happening in the pictures.
If you are not sure what certain things are,
use approximating phrases to express what you think.

Now look at the pictures on the right.
Compare and contrast them. Say which of the two offices
you would prefer to work in and why.

The trials of technology

Discuss the following questions with another student.

How many hours do you think it takes surfing
the Internet to qualify as an 'addict?

Why do you think some people become Internet addicts?

Read the article below. How do your answers to the above questions
compare with those given in the text?

Compare your ideas with another student.

Tell each other the answers you are sure about and why.

Then together look at the remaining gaps and try and work out
the missing pan of speech by looking at the surrounding context.

Try and suggest some probable answers. Select one of them.

Read the text again to make sure your ideas make sense.

Look at the following types of words.
From your work on the above text and previous cloze texts,
say which one is least likely to be tested in this part of the exam.
prepositions (in, on, at etc.)
articles (a, an, the)
pronouns (it, that etc.)
linking words (although, so etc.)
determiners (some, much etc.)
nouns (lamp, earth etc.)
auxiliary verbs (do, will, am etc.)

CAUGHT IN THE NET

____________ t CAN CONSUME UP TO 80 HOURS A WEEK,
I wreck relationships and damage health,
and it is I the world's fastest growing addiction.
Internet abuse
(1) ____________
created millions of on-line addicts
(2) ____________ suffer withdrawal symptoms
(3) ____________ they switch off their computer and panic attacks if they have no e-mail.
In the first book
(4) ____________ offer health tips to the estimated 8.1 million addicts.
Dr Kimberley Young of
(5) ____________
University of Pittsburgh spells out
(6) ____________ to kick the habit and get back into the real world.
It is difficult
(7) ____________ tell
when entertainment becomes addiction.
(8) ____________ who spends more than 40 hours a week online is probably suspect, and other clues
(9) ____________ lying about the amount of time and money
(10) ____________ spent
online, neglect of other work and a withdrawal
(11) ____________
social contacts.
The big attraction
(12) ____________ the Internet is that it allows people to escape
into a fantasy world at any time of the day or night.
'(13) -•• ever sees you, so you
(14) ____________ be whoever you choose.
It's a form of escape
(15) ____________ allows people to forget their problems for a time,' Young says.

Listening: cyber dating

Listen to the conversation and briefly summarise the attitude of Andrew,
Ben and Cathy to the subject of'making friends over the Internet'.

Listen again. Which of the following attitudes
do you think are expressed during the conversation?
How are they expressed? Give examples.

disbelief

irritation

scepticism

concern

defensiveness

dismissiveness

excitement

joy

In what ways do you think getting to know someone via text
online is different from meeting them for the
first time in a face-to-face situation e.g. at a party?

Script

Hi there!
Kelly: Hi! How are you?
II Mike: Not bad... it's been a busy meek! Where are you?
l| Kel|y; San Francisco. Do you know it at all?
Mike: Yes, pretty well actually. It's a great place!
Kelly Yeah, 1 love it...

Go through the text again and decide which gaps you can complete quickly
and confidently with one word only and which you are not sure about.
Write the answers for the ones you are sure about
and put a question mark for those that you aren't sure about.

Grammar check: making Comparisons

There are nine mistakes connected with making comparisons in the two dialogues below.
Find them and correct them.

Ann: So, is Alison going to get her new computer then?
Bill: Yes, well she's says it's far much faster
and has lot more memory than the old one.
Personally I can't see why she needs a new one.
We've only just got the old one after all.
Ann: Well, technology is changing fast and presumably
she'll be able to get her work done a bit more efficiently and download things
from the Internet more quicklier.
Bill: True.
Ann: Do you know what I think? Bill: No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me.
Ann: (laughing) Seriously ... I think the
most interesting and possibly the less positive
thing about all these changes is the way they're isolating people.
Bill: What do you mean?
Ann: Well, people don't have to work
together any more in a social context.
They can all work on their own from home as long as they have their personal computer.
Clare: So how's the computer course going?
David: Well, I must say, it's probably most difficult thing I've ever done.
Clare: Really? But are you coping?
David: I think so but it's a bit of a struggle at home.
I really need my own study.
We're thinking of moving to a slightly biger flat.
We've actually seen one possibility but it's not as near the tube our present one,
and there are far few good shops nearby.
It's also on the noisyest main road in the area, so we're probably not going to go for it!

Look at the following pairs of pictures and make as many comparisons as you can.

EXAMPLE: Cats are more independent than dogs. They also need much less looking after...

Work with another student. In turn compare and contrast:

what you were like five years ago and now.

two places that you have been to on holiday.

your experience of learning two different subjects at school.

Exam Maximiser Speaking: Just a minute

Look at these topics. Match the comments below to each topic as appropriate.
EXAMPLE: C=1

The use of computers for learning English

mobile phones

robots

the Internet

It's amazing how much they can be used for.
Soon they'll even be helping with major operations I hear.

They're very useful for people travelling alone in cars,
in case they break down on the motorway.

It's not the same as having other people
to speak to and try out new words and expressions with.

You almost get too much information.
It's finding your way around it all which I think is the big problem.

Look at the topics in Exercise I.
Imagine you have to speak for one minute about each one.
What would you say? Make notes.

The trials of technology

Work in groups of four or five.
One person in each group is the 'chair',
the others are the players. Read the rules below.
Just A Minute rules

You must speak continuously about the subject.

You must not hesitate.

You must not deviate from the subject.

You must not repeat words except those of the original subject.

You can challenge the speaker by saying
'Hesitation', 'Repetition' or 'Deviation'.

The 'chair' decides whether a challenge is successful or unsuccessful.
If a challenge is successful,
the challenger takes over and continues to speak on the topic
for however much time remains.
If a challenge is unsuccessful the player continues talking
on the same topic for the time remaining.

The winner is the player speaking after one minute.

Listen to some people playing the game.
Work in groups of four or five and play the game.
Decide who is going to begin and who will be responsible for checking the time remaining.

For questions I -6 below,
read the following text and then choose from the list A-J
the best phrase to fill each of the spaces.
Each correct phrase may only be used once.
Some of the suggested answers do not fit at all.
The exercise begins with an example (0).

ROBOTS - DREAM OR NIGHTMARE?
Members of the staff of the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia,
USA were puzzled The museum had acquired
(0) ./ , but no one knew how old it was,
who had made it, or exactly what it was meant to do.
Once its mechanism was restored,
however, the figure wrote out a short poem in French -
and eerily signed it with the words,
'written by Maillardet's automaton'.
This robot, and others made by Henri Maillardet in the early 19th century.
(1) ...
designed to mimic the actions of living creatures.
As long ago as the second century BC, Hero of Alexandria wrote of a theatre
manned by mechanical performers, and Leonardo
da Vinci is said to have built a mechanical lion
to greet the King of France on his visit to Milan in 1507.
Not until the 20th century did such inventions
(2) ... .
The word first appeared in 1921,
in a Czech play about rebellious humanoid machines,
and is derived from the Czech word for 'forced labour'.
It is mainly as helpmates, though,
(3) ... from fiction into the real world.
In particular, they are used to perform many tasks too dangerous,
difficult or boring for humans.
For example, robots have explored the wreck of the Titanic, and a robot even
(4) ... .
But the main use of robots has been in industry.
In Japan, which employs twice as many robots
as the rest of the world put together, one company has built a factory in which robots
(5) ... .
But the dream (or nightmare?)
of the future is of robots which can build other robots -
a prospect that would open up such exciting possibilities
as the exploration of deep space by machines
(6) ... .

work nightshifts all on their own

which could renew themselves unendingly

has been known to make the occasional mistake

that robots have found their way

were by no means the first mechanical devices

helps doctors to perform brain surgery

may never learn to show human emotions

come to be known as 'robots'

has to perform a million calculations a second

what seemed to be a mechanical doll

Writing:

Writing is compulsory is all exams.
You will have to read about 400 words of input material
i.e. text and notes.
It is essential that you read all this material carefully,
selecting what is significant and ignoring what is irrelevant to the task.
The task will involve writing about 250 words but this may be broken into a number of smaller parts.
You may be asked to write formal letters, informal letters, reports, articles, notes or any combination of these.

Suggested procedure

TASK
You are a student rep.
at the college where you are studying.
The director of the college has recently posted a notice outside the multi-media
centre warning of its possible closure.
You subsequently organised a survey of students regarding their use of the multi­media centre.
The results of the questionnaire you sent out are summarised below.
You have also received a note from a friend, Pablo, who is studying at another college,
about how their multi-media centre is used.
Write a letter to the director summarising the results of your survey and presenting suggestions/arguments
to keep the multi-media centre. (200 words)
Also write a note to your friend Pablo to let him know what action you are taking. (50 words)

Read the instructions very carefully and underline key words/phrases.
Plan your answer. Remember to organise your writing in
clear and separate paragraphs.
Use linking words where appropriate.
Avoid copying long phrases from the input texts.
When you have written your answer, check you:

have written approximately the right number of words.

have used an appropriate style e.g. formal or informal.

will create the desired effect on the reader.

have fully answered the question.

FUTURE OF THE MULTI-MEDIA CENTRE

listing videos old films ______ *rtm«*w
Due to lack of use by students of the multi-media centre,
we are considering the closure of the centre to make way for more classrooms.
At present it appears that all the available facilities
sts. would like to use them more but no time ... include as part of classroom time
cassette recorders for practising pron.
should be in a different section. Sts. don't like being overheard by other students in the same room.

video recorders, computers, , cassette recorders
with only a few students making use of them each day and
for only a small part of the day (usually lunch-time).
Unless we are made aware of particular reasons why the centre should be maintained
it will be closed at the end of the next summer course.

T. Dough
Director of Education

compos are competed
touee,o\J*nJofte" craSh. Programs toriW^

MULTI-MEDIA CENTRE QUESTIO
NAIRE SUMMARY
Number of student responses: 40
How often do you use the multi-media centre? 80% = 0—1 lltW per Week Why do you not use the centre more often?
Don't know now to operate equipment / It's not open at convenient times / Boring videos and computer programs I No one available to help or to ask questions
If the centre was improved would you want to keep it? If so, why?
75% = Yes
Students can practise the things then,
find difficult / They can work at own speed I Then can practise pronunciation on the cassette recorders
I lots of students like working with computers
______
Vocabulary: words from other languages
The word multi as in multi-media comes from the Latin word
multus meaning much or many.
Below are some words that English has borrowed from different languages.
1 Look at the words in the box and the table below. Match the words to the illustrations. Eight of the words do not have illustrations. Which words are they?
2 Try and guess which language each word in the box comes from and put it in one of the language columns below.
3 Now use a dictionary to check the origin and meaning of any words you were not sure of.
4 Say how you think the words are pronounced in English. Then listen to the recording to check your answers.
5 Work with another student. Check they know and can pronounce the words below like this:
EXAMPLE: A You throw this at weddings. B Confetti.
Discuss with other students.
1 Do you know any words in your language that English has 'borrowed'?
2 Are there any English words or versions of English words which have now become 'part' of your language? How do you feel about this? Is it a problem?
cosmonaut marmalade chauffeur psychology origami algebra kindergarten piano siesta
Greek Spanish Japanese
drama mosquito karate
Italian
confetti
French German Portuguese Arabic Russian
duvet hamburger cobra mattress mammoth
progress check (multiple-choice cloze)
1 Read the text below and then decide which word
(A, B, C or D) best fits each space. The exercise begins with an example (0).
HELP ALWAYS AT HAND: A MOBILE IS A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND
If it fits inside a pocket, keeps you
(0).A.
as well as in touch with your office, your mother and your children, it is
(1) ... worth having. This is the
(2) ... of the
(3) ... ranks of female mobile-phone users who are beginning to
(4) ... the consumer market.
Although Britain has been
(5) ... to be one of the most expensive places in the world to
(6) ... a mobile phone,
both professional women and
(7) ... mothers are undeterred.
At first, the mobile phone was a rich man's plaything,
or a businessman's
(8) ... symbol.
Now women own almost as many telephones as men do
- but for very different reasons.
The main (9) ...
for most women customers is that it
(10) ... a form of communications back-up, wherever they are, in case of
(11) ... . James Tanner of Tancroft Communications says: 'The
(12) ... of people buying phones from us this year were women - often young women
- or men who were buying for their mothers,
wives and girlfriends.
And it always seems to be a question of
(13) ... of mind.
'Size is also
(14) ... for women.
They want something that will fit in a handbag,' said Mr Tanner. 'The tiny phones coming in are having a very big
(15) ... . This year's models are only half the size of your hand.'
Use two words to complete each of the advanced future verb forms in these sentences.
EXAMPLE: We'd better hurry. The film is due to start in five minutes.
1 I'm on the........................ringing the
police about all the noise those people are making.
2 All those taking part in the parade
........................meet outside the main
building at four o'clock.
3 You've been away so you won't
........................about what happened
in the meeting.
4 By the end of the year the number of people using mobile phones will ........................by 2%.
5 It won't be long before we'll all
........................the Internet to buy our
groceries instead of going to the supermarket.
6 Will you........................immediately
after the conference or could you spare a few minutes to talk to reporters?
7 They........................about........................
launch their new software package and everyone is very excited.
Choose between the alternatives to complete these sentences.
1 He's in his early fifties but he still takes a childlike/childish delight in many aspects of life.
2 She very seldom loses/looses her temper.
3 The actress Greta Garbo was always saying that she wanted to be alone/lonely.
4 She had been working really hard/hardly and needed a holiday.
5 Would you mind if I changed the canal/channel?
6 The painting in the Louvre may be a priceless/worthless fake.
7 It's important to get there early especially specially if you want a good view of the parade.

word formation

Read the two texts.
Use the words in the boxes to the right of the texts
to form one word that fits in the same numbered space in the text.
Write the word in the space. The exercise begins with an example (0).

Use the prompts to write sentences with preparatory it.
EXAMPLE:
Mary/study/aeronautical engineering university It was aeronautical engineering that Mary was studying at university.

difficult/know/what/do

2 essential/I/get in touch/David

3 Jane/lent/me/mobile phone

4 Tuesday/Bill/leave/Australia

5 terrible/few people/use public transport

6 seem/she/not know/meeting/cancelled

7 his parents/make/clear/they/ not like/new girlfriend

8 important obtain/student visa

9 I find/hard/understand why/I/ not get job

TRAINING FOR A MARATHON
A (0) successfiit marathon training
0
SUCCESS
programme starts slowly, (1) ...
gradually and then tapers off before the big race to (2) ... maximum
1
INTENSE
energy. A typical schedule for a beginner lasts six weeks, which is
2
SURE
enough time to build up the
endurance and (3) ... needed to
co
STRONG
run twenty-six miles while avoiding
(4) ... . Before you begin training you
4
INJURE
should be capable of (5) ... running
for 45 minutes. The most important element in the programme is long
5
COMFORT
runs, as these allow you to develop the physical and mental (6) ... that
6
TOUGH
will enable you to run for several
hours without (7) ... . To be fresh for
7
INTERRUPT
the race, make your final run two or
three weeks before the marathon.
BORN TO BICKER
It seems so petty and (8) ... ! While
8
CHILD
we expect sibling (9) ... among our
children we're often embarrassed to
9
RIVAL
find similar emotions ourselves.
Yet we do sometimes have (10) ... animosities that can cause some of
10
PAIN
the most (11) ... problems of adult
11
RESOLVE
life. (12) ... is inherent in all aspects of
life. If nations compete, it shouldn't be surprising that siblings do too - for
12
COMPETE
their parents' affection and then for
the (13) ... of bosses, peers and
13
ADMIRE
friends. As we grow older we usually
find that there is enough love and
14
RECOGNISE
(14) ... to go round. Some siblings
may be more (15) ... while others
15
ASSERT
have more urgent needs for love and
attention and this can produce
conflict.
6 Match the prefixes to the words or stems.
a) auto-
I
intellectuals
b) im-
2
come
c) ir-
3
conception
d) over-
4
biography
e) mono-
5
logical
f) un-
6
mature
g) ii-
7
logue
h) mis-
GO
loyal
i) psuedo-
9
believable
j) dis-
10
relevant
7 Form sentences by changing the order of these words.
EXAMPLE: people who ignore pedestrian
crossings annoys me most is what What annoys me most is people who ignore pedestrian crossings.
1 left his passport at home happened he what was
2 what stay at home is like to do and watch a video I'd
3 is her sense of humour what most about Clara I like
4 to the airport was to hitchhike what she did
5 the way he's always gossiping is what on my nerves really gets
6 what to find out about using my mobile phone outside Spain need to do I is
128
Progress check
Paper 3 English in Use: Part 5 (register transfer)
8 For questions 1-13, read the following e-mail message. Use the information in it to complete the numbered gaps in the notice. Use no more than two words for each gap.
E-MAIL MESSAGE
To: Irene Harman: Director of Studies From: Tina McMahon: Computing Services Subject: Computer Centre
Hi Irene,
Can you include the following in the notice to teachers? There's an official opening next Monday. From Tuesday someone from computing services will be there every day and we'll be offering introductory courses on word processing, e-mail and the Internet. I hope you'll get your students to come along. Teachers are most welcome too. In fact, we're not going to let people use the equipment until they've shown us they know how or have taken one of the courses. There are a few more rules we've had to make. Can you emphasise that these are to stop people wrecking the machines?
Here goes:
(1) No eating, drinking or smoking while using the equipment.
(2) No using the internet while others are waiting to use word processing software.
If they break these rules more than once I'm afraid we'll have to stop them coming into the centre.
Tina
9 Complete these sentences using one or two words in each gap-
1 He........................a very
positive impression on the interview panel.
2 No one has been able to
resolve the........................of
what to do with nuclear waste.
3 He made me........................so
stupid when he showed them all the old photographs.
4 By the fourth lap Criville
had already........................a
considerable advantage over the other riders.
5 After her marriage broke up
she couldn't........................her
doubts about her ability to sustain a relationship.
6 Having a decent breakfast
really........................a
difference to the way I feel half way through the morning.
7 You can trust John. He
always........................his
word.
8 He........................the
promotion he'd been wanting for years.
9 After two months of not allowing herself to so much as smile she finally
........................some control
over the class.
10 He got into some sort of
........................with the
authorities and they refused to renew his residence permit.
11 She gained invaluable
........................working with
her father in the summer holidays.
12 We resolved........................on
better together.
NOTICE
Computer Centre
The Centre opening will (0) be held on Monday 9th March. From Tuesday 10th March the Centre will (1) ... by members of the Computing Services Department. Teachers are asked (2) ... students to attend the courses on word-processing, e-mail and the internet and are urged (3) ... so themselves. No one will be (4) ... use the equipment unless they (5) ... their competence to staff or (6) ... a course. In order to (7) ... to the equipment two (8) ... rules have (9) ... by centre staff. They are (10) ... :
(1) Eating, drinking and smoking while using the equipment (11) ... .
(2) Word processing users are (12) ... priority over Internet users.
Please note: repeated breach of these rules will (13) right to use the centre.
denial of the
129
I T
\ Getting away from it all
Speaking: agreeing to disagree
1 The British Tourist Authority wants to produce its own set of postcards to promote tourism in Britain. Look at the different possibilities. Say what you like and don't like about each one and decide which three you think would be most popular with tourists and why.
2 Listen to other people attempting the above task. Which three did they choose in the end? What were the main reasons for their choices?
3 Listen again and make a note of three phrases you hear used to disagree very politely.
Discuss the following questions and practise the phrases you noted above where appropriate.

What kinds of reactions do people have to tourists in your country? Why is this?

What should tourists try and do to reduce the possibilities
of having a negative effect on the places they visit?

How do you think living and working in another country might be different from just going on holiday there?

Do you think the amount and types of holidays that people are
taking these days are changing? If so, why?

If you could go anywhere in the world for a two-week holiday, where would you go and why?

Work in groups of four or five. You are going to roleplay a meeting of members of the local tourist board. You have been asked to come up with three or four practical ideas to help significantly increase levels of tourism in your area.